Chasen Point Feedhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/en-usFri, 30 Mar 2018 19:35:19 -0500Remember Devonte’ Graham’s foul out vs. Villanova? Now, you make the call(s)http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/remember-devonte-grahams-foul-out-vs-vil/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2016/mar/26/kansas-v-villanova-elite-eight/116898/
San Antonio — You probably remember the foul that knocked Devonte’ Graham out of the 2016 Elite Eight game between Kansas and Villanova.
It’s likely no one agonized over the play more, though, than Graham himself.
“You kind of feel like you let the team down,” Graham said. “For a couple weeks after that, that’s all you can think about.”
The fact of the matter is, the fifth foul might have been the fifth most controversial.
There’s long been a belief among some KU fans that Graham fouled out of that game without committing a single foul. Don’t believe me?
[Here’s][1] an example. [Here’s][2] another. And [here][3] and [here][4] and [here][5] and [here][6] and [here][7] and [here][8].
“To be honest I don’t remember all five of ‘em,” Graham said. “Probably about three of them could’ve been questionable.”
Well, now you can decide for yourself.
*****
Foul No. 1
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**Why it was a foul:** Graham was hounding Phil Booth all the way up the court and put his hands on him a couple times. When Graham finally swiped at the ball around Booth's back, he had to know he was putting himself in jeopardy of a call being made. It’s also possible he nicked Booth’s arm, and referees can have a stricter whistle in the early moments of a game to set some kind of a tone.
**Why it wasn’t a foul:** Because the play he got called for didn’t look anything like a foul. Graham knocked the ball away cleanly. At the top of the screen, Wayne Selden put both hands on his head in frustration. It's also worth noting the referee who called the foul didn't have a clean look at the play at all.
*****
Foul No. 2
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**Why it was a foul:** This one is a little tough, since there isn’t a great angle, but you could argue Graham went through the left arm of Ryan Arcidiacono to get the ball. He might have also caught a little bit of his body, although it looks like Arcidiacono is actually the one holding off Graham.
**Why it wasn’t a foul:** There’s very little contact and it’s basically a loose ball at that point. Graham, again, reacts instantly to the call, and Frank Mason also throws his arms in frustration the second the call is made. Plus, the referee might have had a little extra leeway with Graham knowing he already picked up his first on what was at best a 50-50 call.
*****
Foul No. 3
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**Why it was a foul:** Again, there’s nothing you can really see from this angle that would be helpful, but it’s possible Graham went through Jalen Brunson’s arm to knock the ball away. Slapping at a ball on a driving player is also dangerous for a player that already has two fouls. Graham put himself in a position where a call could easily be made.
**Why it wasn’t a foul:** From this angle, at least, the play looks pretty clean. Graham bats the ball off Brunson’s knee and it trickles to Jamari Traylor. Again, Mason reacts in frustration to the call, Graham’s third.
*****
Foul No. 4
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**Why it was a foul:** Well, first of all, the officials could have called a foul on Landen Lucas, although it looks like Jalen Brunson shoved off the KU big man to accentuate the contact. But with Graham, there’s a bit of contact on the rebound and Darryl Reynolds (45) instantly grabs at his arm as if to say he got hit there. Plus, Graham had his hands on Reynolds' body at the beginning of the rebound.
**Why it wasn’t a foul:** You’ve seen far worse go uncalled, especially going for a rebound. Plus, it’s rare to see a smaller guard — Graham was listed at 6-2, 175 pounds — get called for a foul on a rebound against a significantly bigger player (6-8, 225 pounds) unless there’s pretty obvious contact.
*****
Foul No. 5
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**Why it was a foul:** This is the famous — or infamous — fifth foul. And honestly, it’s probably a foul. Graham is going after the loose ball, which is his right, but he slides into Josh Hart and takes out his legs. Hart wasn’t moving other than to bend down and pick up the ball. There’s way too much contact for the whistle not to blow.
**Why it wasn’t a foul:** Referees typically grant leeway for players going after loose balls. Plus, late in games referees also tend to swallow their whistles — sometimes to the benefit of Kansas (a non-charge call against Iowa State comes to mind).
*****
The verdict:
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Graham probably shouldn’t have fouled out against Villanova, not that it matters now.
"It's over now," Graham agreed.
The most egregious call was probably the second foul, while the first and third may have simply come down to the situations Graham put himself in.
As for the fifth foul, since it’s the one everyone remembers the most, Saturday’s media sessions provided the chance for a pair of perspectives on the play.
First, then-freshman Mikal Bridges was the player who knocked the ball out of Graham’s hands to create the loose ball. He was actually credited with a steal in the box score — giving him five when it should have been four — and he still remembered the sequence quite well.
“Graham just split me and Arch,” Bridges recalled. And the ball was loose and I just dove on it. That’s what we do. I guess it rolled to Josh and Josh went to go pick it up and I guess Graham dove on it and got a foul.”
Graham’s thoughts were clear on the play, but a teammate chimed in and provided his own take, saying it’s “part of how we play.”
“I think with that play in particular, I mean that’s just him going hard for the ball. I don’t think anybody can get mad at him for doing that, showing some effort,” said Mitch Lightfoot, who wasn’t yet on KU at the time. “It’s the heat of the game, he dove for a ball, just kind of the call didn’t go his way. We wish it would’ve, but it didn’t. But he’s working his butt off so you can’t get upset with him.”
[1]: https://twitter.com/MDTrey4/status/716420342701494272
[2]: https://twitter.com/HisDirknesS/status/743889099979776000
[3]: https://twitter.com/Lando_mcniel/status/713938148623945728
[4]: https://twitter.com/kinghardees/status/713932926849671168
[5]: https://twitter.com/_zaytoven1/status/713926796522176512
[6]: https://twitter.com/chrisconway3517/status/713925556820004866
[7]: https://twitter.com/Undisputed0915/status/713924406196748288
[8]: https://twitter.com/bri_tastic/status/713921525242589184]]>Fri, 30 Mar 2018 19:35:19 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/remember-devonte-grahams-foul-out-vs-vil/KU players, staff recall first college basketball memorieshttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/ku-players-staff-recall-first-college-ba/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/30/kansas-and-villanova-final-four-practices/124401/
San Antonio — Just about anyone who has ever picked up a basketball imagines what it would be like to hit a game-winning shot or play on the biggest stage.
For KU basketball, those dreams have become a reality. The Jayhawks will take the floor at approximately 7:49 p.m. CT against Villanova with a spot in the championship game on the line.
“It beats the hell out of sitting in class,” joked sophomore forward Mitch Lightfoot.
As the Jayhawks prepare for their semifinal showdown, several shared memories of their first Final Fours and other childhood memories.
Here are a few of the earliest basketball memories from various members of the program…
*****
**Lightfoot — Sophomore from Gilbert, Arizona**
**First Final Four you watched:** “I’d probably say the ’08 team, for real, just the first thing that sticks out to me. How old was I in ’08? I’d be 10. … I remember, they made me go to bed at halftime. That’s what I always tell everyone whenever they ask me. My parents made me go to bed at halftime so I had to wake up in the morning to see (the shot).”
**When you became a college basketball fan:** “It’s kind of just always been in my blood. Growing up, I was honestly a KU fan, so it’s kind of been in my blood, just part of me, and (I'm) excited to be a part of it now. (To) help us go on this run and help keep it going is pretty special.”
**First jersey you owned:** “I don’t think I ever had a KU jersey. I think I had a Tony Gonzalez jersey, I know this is football, but I had a Tony Gonzalez Pro Bowl jersey from when he was still with the Chiefs. That was probably my favorite jersey of all time. I still got it. I wear it whenever Chiefs games (are on).”
*****
**Marcus Garrett — Freshman from Dallas, Texas**
**First Final Four you watched:** “I forgot what year (2014), but it was where Shabazz (Napier) and (Ryan) Boatright were playing against Kentucky. UConn dominated the game, basically. I’d seen their guards just picking up the Harrison twins full court, and things like that.”
**When you became a college basketball fan:** “Probably when I was a sophomore. Yeah I’m a big football guy, though. I’m a big football fan. … When I was little, I was like a big fan: Vince Young at Texas, Reggie Bush at USC. I used to watch a lot of football growing up, being from Texas. That’s a football state.”
**First jersey you owned:** “Vince Young jersey. I used to wear No. 10 and play quarterback and everything.”
*****
**James Sosinski — Redshirt sophomore from Chandler, Arizona**
**First Final Four you watched:** “I don’t know. I think it’s when Duke played Butler in the championship. That’s the first game I really remember. I can’t remember what year it was (2010), but I just remember Butler wasn’t that good of a seed (five-seed) and they were playing Duke and it was kind of cool to watch it.
**On Gordon Hayward’s near-halfcourt [shot at the end of the game][1]:** “I really thought they were going to make it and upset ‘em. But it was just crazy to watch like a powerhouse like Duke go against a team like that and how good of a game it was. It just shows that anything can happen in this game if you get down to it.”
**Favorite player when you were little:** “I’m from Arizona. I remember my favorite player going up was probably (James) Harden. When ASU got Harden, I liked going and watching him play. ... Steve Nash (was my first) jersey. I was a huge Suns fan. Huge Suns fan. I loved Nash. I went to a bunch of Suns games growing up.”
*****
**Jerrance Howard — KU assistant coach**
**First Final Four you watched:** “First memory was, I hate to say it, but [the Chris Webber timeout][2] (1993). But as a kid, I got a great background of grade school coaches and high school coaches. So they always used to talk about the Final Four and what it means to (make) the Final Four. Being one game away, playing for coach Self at Illinois when we lost here to Arizona, that kind of always stuck to me. Like, ‘Man, you can never get that back.’ And then to lose two years in a row to get to this game, and to win it here, it’s a special, special weekend for us.”
**First jersey you owned:** “I was a big Illinois fan and a big Michigan fan. So I’ve always been a big college basketball fan. … My first jersey was Kendall Gill Fighting Illini orange jersey. And (then there) was a 3-on-3 tournament called Gus Macker. We were called the Fab Four. We could have three players and a sub. I had a Juwan Howard, No. 25 (jersey), because he was part of the Fab Five and his last name was Howard.
**On Juwan Howard:** He’s got two sons that played in Chicago, maybe five years ago when I was coaching at Illinois. Unbelievable guy. I always tell him I had his jersey first.”
*****
**Brian Hanni — Voice of the Jayhawks**
**First Final Four you watched:** “The best story I could give you, the first Final Four I covered was 2003 in New Orleans. I had the pleasure of getting assigned a media seat next to ESPN’s Linda Cohn. Problem was, there was a torrential downpour that day, and getting over from the media hotel to the Superdome, and the media shuttle dropped us off on the opposite entrance from the media entrance.
"By the time I got in, I was soaked like a wet rag. Literally, you could wring the water off my suit. And I go scooting down the line, trying to get in to sit next to my famous ESPN celebrity seat-mate. And she looked up at me like, ‘What kind of rock did this kid crawl out from up from underneath?’ But once I toweled myself off and watched the game, she was a delight to sit next to. And to this day, I still think that Michael Lee shot is going in if Hakim Warrick hadn’t blocked it.”
**First jersey you owned:** It was a Jacque Vaughn Kansas jersey. He was my favorite guy growing up. It was a No. 11 Jacque Vaughn Kansas jersey. I got it autographed at the Forbes Field Airport in Topeka when they came back from one of their NCAA tournament runs. It was a hurried signature, it was just "JV11," but that meant the world to me.
[1]: https://youtu.be/SB00wfyuQjY?t=338
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-4f1fT0tK8]]>Fri, 30 Mar 2018 16:12:53 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/ku-players-staff-recall-first-college-ba/Sister Jean phenomenon reaches Final Four stagehttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/sister-jean-phenomenon-reaches-final-fou/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/2018/mar/30/324782/
San Antonio — Sister Jean never expected to be here. Well, if she did, she never expected it to be quite like this.
If you haven’t heard — an impressive feat, at this point — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt is the Chaplain for Loyola (Chicago). Throughout the NCAA tournament she’s become perhaps the most recognizable figure on the team, if not the sport, sitting just off the Ramblers’ bench throughout their cinderella run.
Now, she’s on her biggest stage yet.
“I never even imagined two or three (cameras), let alone this large group,” she said. “Everything just seemed to mushroom, and I could never tell you how that happens.”
Friday’s Final Four festivities at the Alamodome began with a Sister Jean press conference, which was packed by TV cameras and reporters alike.
Her face is just about everywhere, including socks, shirts and even team-issued bobblehead. Sister Jean, to date, has taken it all in stride.
“I’m not saying this in a proud fashion,” she said, “I think the company could retire when they’re finished making these bobbleheads.”
It’s also a good reminder, though, of how tricky it can be to navigate the atmosphere.
Toward the end of her 15-minute media session, Sister Jean was asked if she thinks God is a basketball fan.
“He’s probably a basketball fan more of the NCAA than the NBA,” she continued. “I say that because these young people are playing with their hearts and not for any financial assistance.”
In the wake of the FBI investigation into college basketball and numerous debates about whether or not college athletes should be compensated beyond the scholarships and other benefits, that comment bounced around social media.
https://twitter.com/tatefrazier/status/979450246995554305
https://twitter.com/AnthonyIrwinLA/status/979745508880138240
Others commented on the amount of attention she’s received compared to the attention being given to the players. That point was made into a visual by a tweet from Chicago Tribune photojournalist Brian Cassella, who took pictures comparing the packed house of dozens, if not hundreds of media members for Sister Jean and a press conference for a Loyola player, where only three reporters sat in the front row of seating.
https://twitter.com/LindseyThiry/status/979753219965399040
“I’ve never seen a room so packed,” remarked one media member of Sister Jean’s press conference. “Like it was hard to get in the room.”
NBA player and former Wisconsin Final Four participant Frank Kaminsky, in fact, retweeted a tweet saying the “Sister Jean thing has gone too far,” and that she’s “taken all the attention away from the players.”
Not everyone, agrees, though.
Ben Richardson, a Loyola player and former Overland Park product, said Sister Jean has a “calming effect” on the team, adding “it’s really special” to have her around.
Clayton Custer, Richardson’s teammate — both now and back at Blue Valley Northwest — has previously commented he’s glad she’s getting the chance to share her message, while freshman forward Christian Negron said she “deserves all the recognition she is getting.”
Even Michigan coach John Beilein has joined in on the phenomenon.
“It’s absolutely terrific,” Beilein said. “I had a priest, not even at my own parish, stop mass at the end of mass on Tuesday and say, ‘They have Sister Jean. You have everybody here praying for you.’”
Regardless, to hear it from Sister Jean, she’s simply having the time of her life.
“I can’t believe it. Even in the morning, I wake up and I say, ‘Is this real or is it a dream?’” she said. “And I say, ‘No, it’s really for really.’
“This is the most fun I’ve had in my life. It is just so much fun for me to be here, and I almost didn’t get here, but I fought hard enough to do that because I wanted to be with the guys.” ]]>Fri, 30 Mar 2018 13:51:11 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/30/sister-jean-phenomenon-reaches-final-fou/How Mitch Lightfoot put his handprint on KU&#39;s Elite Eight win without playing a secondhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/26/how-mitch-lightfoot-put-his-handprint-on/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/25/kansas-basketball-v-duke-elite-eight/124224/
Omaha, Neb. — Mitch Lightfoot didn't play a second in KU's 85-81 overtime win over Duke in the Elite Eight.
Still, it'd be hard to argue his handprints weren't all over that game, just [in a different vessel][1].
Lightfoot, KU's first big off the bench for much of the season, knew his role might change when Silvio De Sousa joined the team at semester. He worked to get the freshman up to speed — earning the praise of coach Bill Self at times — even though he knew it might come at his own expense.
"Honestly, that's my entire goal here: KU gets better," Lightfoot said. "It might hurt my playing time, it might hurt my minutes, but it is what it is. KU is going to the Final Four."
Lightfoot, obviously, is not done playing a role for KU basketball.
While he only played two minutes in the second weekend of the tournament — Udoka Azubuike played 44 and De Sousa played 39 — the sophomore tabbed 41 minutes in the first two rounds and had several key performances to help the Jayhawks in Big 12 play.
KU’s roster in the 2017-18 regular season presented a unique opportunity to Lightfoot, allowing him to play more minutes than might have been the case on a team like, well, the one that will take the floor next season.
Should Azubuike return, Lightfoot could end up as the third, fourth or — by the end of the year — even fifth big on a talented KU roster. So far, though, he’s done nothing but keep his head up, both publicly and behind the scenes.
Lightfoot, a lifelong Jayhawk fan, tweeted “I love being a Jayhawk and that’s a fact” back in February. At the same time, he was doing his part to train his replacement — at least for a couple games.
https://twitter.com/Mitchlightfoot/status/967633709951221760
“Just really proud of him,” Lightfoot said of De Sousa
Lightfoot, who has helped De Sousa acclimate to the team off the court, said he was happy to be a “mentor” or sorts for the freshman, teaching him “what it means to be a Jayhawk and how to be a student-athlete.”
The sophomore has also been vocal from the bench, chatting with his understudy during each stop in the action and trying to pass along valuable words of advice.
“It’s great. He’s done a great job of learning,“ Lightfoot said. “My hats off to him for how he’s been progressing. Think it’s only up from here, too."
For what it’s worth, the KU coaches have seen the same.
Earlier in the year, Self noted Lightfoot “wants to win more than he wants to play.” KU big men coach Norm Roberts, on the other hand, was quick to remark that things aren’t just moving in one direction when it comes to that camaraderie.
“There’s been times that Mitch has played really well for us and his biggest cheerleader is Silvio or Udoka," Roberts said. "And the same thing happens, like today, Udoka was the biggest cheerleader for Silvio. He was happy for Silvio and what was going on out there. That’s the way our team is.”
Lucky for the Jayhawks, they'll have all three — big men, cheerleaders, whatever — available as they head toward a showdown with Villanova.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2018/mar/25/silvio-de-sousas-terrific-bloody-performance-saves/]]>Mon, 26 Mar 2018 18:27:18 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/26/how-mitch-lightfoot-put-his-handprint-on/Svi Mykhailiuk&#39;s answer to teams limiting his 3s? &#39;Drive the ball more&#39; http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/24/svi-mykhailiuks-answer-to-teams-limiting/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/23/kansas-v-clemson-sweet-16/124116/
Omaha, Neb. — Svi Mykahiliuk noticed a change when he got into the teeth of Big 12 play.
Perhaps the most dramatic example came in KU’s game against TCU. The Horned Frogs’ defense [keyed in on Mykhailiuk][1], switching all along the perimeter and trying to avoid helping off him.
The result? Mykhailiuk, who is averaging 12.3 field goal attempts per game this season, shot only two times. He went 0 for 2 from the field and missed his only 3-point attempt.
“Late in the year, starting I think in the Big 12 conference games, some teams started just running me off the 3-point line,” Mykhailiuk recalled. “Then in the Big 12 tournament, everyone started doing that.”
Mykhailiuk has shot at least 10 times in all but four of KU’s games since that matchup, but there has been a change of the number of open 3-pointers he’s gotten, especially in the NCAA tournament.
Through three rounds of the NCAA tournament, Mykhailiuk has connected on only 5 3s; he met or surpassed that total in nine of KU’s games leading up to that matchup against TCU.
“I haven’t studied it, but how many 3s has he got off in the tournament so far?” asked KU coach Bill Self. “Maybe 15 or so, which is not a great number. I mean that should be a two-game total as opposed to a three-game total.”
Funny enough, Self actually slightly overshot it.
Mykhailiuk has only launched 12 3 point attempts in the tournament. That mark of four per game is down from his average of nearly seven in KU’s first 34 contests.
That puts each open 3-point opportunity at a premium, though Mykhailiuk insists it doesn’t add any pressure to his shots.
“I’m just trying to take open shots,” Mykhialiuk said. “If it’s open, it’s gotta go in. If it’s not, I’m just not going to take it.”
Duke’s defense will be different than the ones the Jayhawks have seen for most of the season. The Blue Devils have played mostly zone since the midway point in the year.
The zone, inspired by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, has mostly resembled a 2-3, though it has taken on other forms depending on the matchup.
In Duke’s Sweet 16 win over Syracuse, the zone resembled more of a 4-1 look at times, with the guards pressed high up on the wings. KU has seen other varieties of zones this year, playing against teams like Syracuse, Washington — who left the middle of the floor open and dared Lagerald Vick to beat them — Baylor and even Nebraska, who confounded the Jayhawks with a 1-3-1 look.
“Duke’s kind of different,” Mykhailiuk said. “Like Syracuse, they’re really long. They be playing zone every year so they know what they’re doing. I think Duke just started playing this year … but for them it’s working really good.”
While it remains to be seen what specific look — or looks — the Blue Devils will give the Jayhawks, Mykhailiuk noted the key to breaking them down may not solely come down to shooting.
Mykhailiuk knows KU will be at a size disadvantage, but the way he sees it, it could actually work in the Jayhawks' favor.
“I’ve just got to use my handles way more than I had to and just go to the line more,” Mykhailiuk said. “Find the open man, drive the ball more, drive the big guys because they play Bagley on the outside. He’s got to come up, so I think we’ve just got to drive more and find the open man.”
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Sat, 24 Mar 2018 18:49:58 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/24/svi-mykhailiuks-answer-to-teams-limiting/Silvio De Sousa confident as ever after late free throws, win over Clemsonhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/24/silvio-de-sousa-confident-as-ever-after-/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/23/kansas-v-clemson-sweet-16/124134/
OMAHA, Neb. — However many KU fans filled CenturyLink Center on Friday, there was a palpable tension as Silvio De Sousa stepped to the line in a six-point game with less than 90 seconds left.
Likely the least nervous of the lot? The freshman himself.
“When you have confidence, you don’t have to feel pressure,” said De Sousa with a chuckle.
Well then.
De Sousa’s stroke wasn’t quite as perfect as his confidence — he went 1 for 2 in that instance and finished 3 for 4 for the game — but his minutes for the Jayhawks weren’t far from it.
In KU’s 80-76 win over the Tigers, De Sousa scored nine points (3-for-4 shooting) and added six rebounds and a block. He committed one turnover in his 13 minutes and even came away with one of the most impressive highlights of the tournament, throwing down an alley-oop off a half-court pass from Devonte’ Graham.
Funny enough, though, it wasn’t the dunk that caught De Sousa’s eye after the game.
“I just love making free throws,” the freshman deadpanned.
His teammates are certainly aware.
When De Sousa stepped to the line for his late free throws, his teammates didn’t say anything to him about the shot.
“Nah,” De Sousa said. “'Cause they know I was going to make them.”
De Sousa said he shoots about 200 free throws per day, knocking them down at a clip between 75 and 80 percent. He said his motivation for doing so is because of how crucial they end up being in games — perhaps none bigger than when he stepped to the line with 90 seconds left.
“It’s probably one of the biggest situations he’s been in,” Newman said. “So for him to get up, to have poise and knock that down, I mean it just shows how much he loves free throws, as he say.”
Newman’s final words were said with a laugh, but several players affirmed that De Sousa’s commitment to free throws is no laughing matter.
Svi Mykhailiuk said De Sousa is one of several players who stick around to shoot free throws after practices while Graham noted De Sousa also puts in work before weights sessions and other team events.
De Sousa, Graham said, even takes extra free throws when Azubuike is working on his shots, something Graham considers to be part of building team chemistry.
But if the free throws are any indication of De Sousa’s confidence, there’s plenty for KU fans to be excited about. Newman credited the freshman with a crucial performance in the win, while De Sousa beamed with confidence after playing a career-high 13 NCAA tournament minutes.
“My teammates trust me even more. I’m just trying to help the team,” De Sousa said. “I knew my time was going to come, and I know it’s still coming.” ]]>Sat, 24 Mar 2018 00:57:41 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/24/silvio-de-sousa-confident-as-ever-after-/Experience, preparation crucial for Bill Self’s Thursday &amp; Friday NCAA dominance http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/22/experience-preparation-crucial-for-bill-/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/22/kansas-and-clemson-practice-centurylink-center/124106/
Omaha, Neb. — Bill Self has spoken about the NCAA Tournament differently than some of his peers. He often divides it into weekends, speaking as though it's three miniature tournaments rather than one big one.
The first weekend has the first two rounds. The next one has the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. The elusive third weekend, at least for the last five tournaments, has the Final Four and National Championship games.
Since the Bucknell and Bradley upsets, though, one thing has remained a constant for Self. He doesn’t lose the first game of the mini two-game tournaments, almost completely without fail. As the higher seed, Self has only been defeated one time in the Round of 64, Sweet 16 or Final Four in a streak that dates all the way back to the 2007 tournament.
“Our preparation has always been detailed from strengths and weaknesses to player personnel,” said KU assistant Jerance Howard, who also played under Self while at Illinois. “For the guys, they have at least 24 hours to enjoy the win and rest, but for us we’re right back in the office, watching film and getting together a game plan — how we’re going to score, how we’re going to stop them.”
The preparation is evident. Self’s record as an equal or higher seed in Thursday and Friday NCAA Tournament games — since 2006 — is a whopping 20-1. He’s 12-0 in the first round, 6-1 in the Sweet 16 and 2-0 in the Final Four.
And Howard isn’t the only one on the staff to identify it.
Norm Roberts, a KU assistant in Self’s first season and again since 2012, is as well versed in Self’s path as any of his assistants.
“He’s experienced. He knows what it’s going to take to win,” said Roberts. “We’ve been at Oral Roberts, we’ve been at Tulsa when we were lower seeds. He tries to get our guys to understand that those are very, very good teams and they’re very, very excited about playing."
Self learned that the hard way early on.
In his second season at Kansas, Self’s No. 3 seed Jayhawks were bounced in the first round by Bucknell, 64-63. The next year, Self’s fourth-seeded squad lost to Bradley, 77-73.
Since then, Self’s teams — the non No. 1 seeds — have gone 4-0 in the opening game, winning by an average of nearly 14 points per contest. All four wins have been by double-digits, while his 1 seed teams have won by an average of 23 points.
Only once has a Self-led 1 seed won by fewer than 16 points in the first round of the tournament.
“I think he just makes sure his team is focused,” said Roberts. “Coming out of a league like the Big 12, you’re playing against the best teams in the country, different styles. So it really does prepare you for when you get to the NCAA tournament.
“There’s probably not things that we haven’t seen. Don’t mean that we can’t falter in going against them.”
Sure enough, the exception to Self’s opening-game dominance came in 2013. Taking on fourth-seeded Michigan, No. 1 seed KU led by 14 with 6-and-a-half minutes left and maintained a double-digit advantage with less than 2:30 to play.
KU was up 8 with 1:22 to play and then five with 20 seconds left. Trey Burke essentially willed the game into overtime, scoring eight points in the final 1:15, including two 3-pointers.
Again, that was the exception, not the rule.
Self had one other Thursday/Friday loss since the Bucknell and Bradley games, but he was the lower seed for that matchup. The No. 3 seed Jayhawks lost to No. 2 seed Michigan State in a season the Jayhawks had to replace all five starters.
That aspect may have had more to do with it than you might think.
Asked about the team’s focus level headed into a new weekend, Howard offered up an idea outside of the coaching staff.
“I think it starts with our older guys, with Devonte’ and Svi. They understand, they’ve been here, they’ve been in Elite Eight games, and they know how it works,” Howard said. “Everybody else falls in line. It’s just the way it is here. Our culture that we have set: Once we prepare, everybody needs to be locked in.”
Graham learned that lesson early. His instructors were past Bill Self favorites like Jamari Traylor and Perry Ellis.
“Freshman year, definitely,” Graham said. “When you come in and it’s your first tournament and you just see how locked in the other guys and seniors are.”
As for the underclassmen on the team, it hasn’t taken long for them to get the message from the older players.
“We come out there and we prepare so well during the week,” said sophomore forward Mitch Lightfoot. “We listen to the scouting report, we understand what (the coaches) want us to do, we understand the other team’s tendencies. I think we come out here and we play like we practice.” ]]>Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:50:12 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/22/experience-preparation-crucial-for-bill-/How a ‘bad,’ ‘terrible’ play helped KU finish off Seton Hallhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/18/how-a-bad-terrible-play-helped-ku-finish/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/17/kansas-basketball-v-seton-hall/124064/
WICHITA — Svi Mykhailiuk is lucky to be alive.
OK, so that might be a slight exaggeration. But if you were only basing it off the look on Bill Self’s face when Mykhailiuk let go of a pass that was at best risky and probably closer to the “terrible” grade Self later applied to it, then the words of the senior after the game made a little more sense.
“Oh, he would’ve killed me,” joked Mykhailiuk after KU’s 83-79 win. “It was a bad, bad play.”
Here’s how it all happened.
Khadeen Carrington hit a deep 3-pointer to cut KU’s lead over Seton Hall to four with 29.4 seconds remaining. Seton Hall took a timeout.
Mykhailiuk ran the baseline and inbounded the ball to Lagerald Vick. Vick tapped it back to Mykhailiuk, who, without even first landing on the ground, threw a pass all the way down the floor to a streaking Devonte’ Graham.
“I saw Devonte’ open so I threw it to him,” said Mykhailiuk. “I did not think (the defender) was going to come steal the ball. I was nervous when I passed that.”
Desi Rodriguez, who was keeping an eye on Lightfoot down the floor, broke away from his man. He had a chance to grab the ball as it bounced right by the half-court line.
The ball should have been picked off. Even the announcer calling the game thought so.
“Back to Mykhailiuk, who threw it away!” exclaimed Brad Nessler, who then saw the ball bounce under Rodriguez’s hands and end up in Graham’s mitts.
“Almost!” he corrected.
*(Check out the aftermath of the pass in the photo below. Look at Graham's facial expression and the surprise that's on it after he ended up with the ball. And be sure to note the pain on Rodriguez's face in the background. There's little doubting that the Seton Hall senior, just a split second earlier, thought he had the steal.)*
http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/mar/17/kansas-basketball-v-seton-hall/124063/
Back to the sequence, the nerves were free-flowing all around.
“Every ball has a chance to get picked off,” said Mitch Lightfoot, “but once the ball was a loose ball I was like, ‘Uh oh.’”
“We just got lucky on that one,” added Graham. “I had seen the defender like at the last second, so I just tried to hit the ball to myself. Thank God that it came, that it went through.”
Graham regained possession, took a pair of dribbles and shoveled the ball off to Lightfoot. The big man dunked it with two hands and let out a roar in the process.
The basket gave KU 77 points and put the Jayhawks up six. Carrington would hit another three, but there wasn’t enough time for the Pirates to keep trading baskets.
It would’ve been the game-winning score, in fact, if not for a meaningless — to some — 3-pointer with two seconds left to massage the final margin.
“You’ve got to make winning plays with the game on the line,” Graham said. “Coach stresses it a lot in practice and we just try to do it in the games.”
As for the other stress — that of Self’s potential reaction — Mykhailiuk’s teammates each laughed when told about Mykhailiuk’s comment.
At least one player, though, agreed with the Ukranian’s assertion.
“Not far from it,” Lightfoot joked. “Thank God it didn’t happen. Thank God we’re moving on.”
]]>Sun, 18 Mar 2018 13:44:08 -0500http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/18/how-a-bad-terrible-play-helped-ku-finish/How Mitch Lightfoot made charges a secret weapon for KU basketballhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/8/how-mitch-lightfoot-made-charges-a-secre/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/2018/mar/08/323883/
Kansas City, Mo. — Sitting at his locker in the bowels of Sprint Center after an 82-68 KU win, Mitch Lightfoot dropped his phone and watched as it tumbled to the floor.
A reporter reached out to pick it up, but Lightfoot shooed him away.
“It’s already cracked as it is,” Lightfoot said. “It doesn’t really matter.”
As it were, there probably couldn’t have been a more on-brand comment from the sophomore.
Lightfoot scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds on Thursday, but his two biggest plays didn’t involve the ball ever entering his possession. Twice in the second half he stood in to take a charge on the Cowboys. Twice the referee signaled for the offensive foul, leading to an energetic celebration for a player sprawled on his back.
“It’s kind of weird that I get excited for charges,” said Lightfoot. “Someone’s running you over and you get up with a smile on your face.”
Don’t underestimate the value of that smile, though.
As an individual basketball play, few plays are more powerful than a charge.
- The clock stops
- The defense doesn’t allow a score
- An offensive player gets a foul
- Possession changes
“If you block it they can get it back,” Lightfoot said. “If you get a charge, it’s automatically our ball and a huge momentum shift.”
“Mitch is a good shot-blocker, but I think taking the charge and getting there is more of a momentum play,” added walk-on Clay Young. “I love charges, personally. I think they’re huge in-game.”
And there’s an art to taking them.
Lightfoot has drawn multiple charges in several games this year, including a December game against Syracuse in Miami and the game on Thursday.
“I certainly look for the opportunity. I try to — not find certain guys — but understand certain people’s games,” LIghtfoot said. “That helps a lot in scout. If he’s going to drive to the hoop and he’s going to play with that reckless abandon, you know you can step in, might get a charge on him”
There’s more to it than that, though.
“I had several fouls (against OSU) so there were certain opportunities where I couldn’t step in for a charge because it’s kind of a 50-50 call,” Lightfoot said. “The ones I stepped in on were kind of like 80-20 where I’m probably going to get that.”
And perhaps what makes Lightfoot most effective is that opponents don’t always see it coming.
Quizzed about Lightfoot’s prowess for drawing charges, Malik Newman offered up one suggestion. He said part of it is Lightfoot avoiding “doing anything dumb,” but the other half is what the opponent might be expecting.
“I think as a guard going to basket, a big man would never try to take a charge on me,” Newman said. “I think that’s the same thing that those guys think with him.”
With Lightfoot, that makes some sense. Listed at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, Lightfoot is far from the most imposing center in the conference. He’s far from that on his own team.
Silvio De Sousa, who backed up Lightfoot on Thursday, is listed at 6-9, 245. James Sosinski, a mid-season addition from the KU football team, stands at 6-7 but weighs 250 pounds.
“This will sound really weird, but I didn’t really take them,” Lightfoot said. “I took them every once in a while in high school. I got to the All-American camps and stuff and I realized that you might not block everyone’s shot because certain people are more athletic than you. You just gotta step in and take a charge.”
The same might apply to just about every player on the team — with one exception.
Azubuike, who coach Bill Self said will miss the Big 12 tournament with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, stands at a hefty 7-foot, 280 pounds. For that, at least one teammate couldn’t help but crack a big smile when trying to imagine him sliding over to beat an offensive player to a spot.
“No way. No way. Dok take a charge something wrong,” Newman joked. “Dok take a charge we gotta get him out. There’s something wrong with him mentally.” ]]>Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:33:46 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/mar/8/how-mitch-lightfoot-made-charges-a-secre/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-Texas IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/26/kansas-basketball-v-texas-senior-night/123702/
*Since coming to the Big 12, Shaka Smart has yet to earn a win against Bill Self — like he did as the coach of VCU. Today's 1-3-1 blog explores the coaching matchup between the two, plus a play by Malik Newman that brought back memories of another five years ago. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: Hit the deck! —
---------------------------------
The Jayhawks were never really in danger of dropping Monday's game against Texas, yet they weren't able to put it entirely out of reach until late.
For that, every time Texas crawled to within six or eight — or some similar score — the Jayhawks had an answer. Some of them were louder than others.
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In a game where coach Bill Self [praised the energy of Udoka Azubuike][2], it was exactly that on display to start the sequence. With the Jayhawks unable to secure the rebound initally, the 7-foot, 280-pound Delta, Nigeria native dove on the floor to grab a loose ball.
Azubuike kept his composure and flipped the ball to Newman, who brought it up the court to begin the weave. Azubuike, who was late down the court, eventually caught the ball at the top of the key, becoming part of the weave as he took a dribble to his right.
Azubuike handed the ball off to Newman, who was initially guarded by Kerwin Roach. Roach was screened by Azubuike and wasn't able to fight through it.
*Perhaps he was expecting to switch since Texas defended the initial action between the guards by switching, but he almost certainly wouldn't have been supposed to switch onto Azubuike. Teams will often defend the weave by switching either 1-through-3 or 1-through-4, meaning they'll switch at every position except with the big men on the floor.*
Newman pulled up from 3 and knocked down the shot. KU, which had seen its lead cut to six less than 90 seconds earlier, went back up by 11.
It was that kind of game.
** * * * **
A trend: Creating a mismatch —
------------------------------
Shaka Smart does something that absolutely baffles me.
When the other team has the ball out of bounds on the baseline, he sticks the tallest player on the inbounder, creating a mismatch from the jump.
In an early [Twitter thread][3] — recapped in the 1-3-1 blog [from the OSU game][4] — I dissected how KU took advantage of that mismatch on three separate occasions in Austin.
- The first time Texas tried it, KU got a layup.
- The second time. Graham isolated big man Mo Bamba and KU missed a shot, but Texas wasn’t able to initially secure a rebound.
- The third time, Graham pulled Bamba away from the hoop, drove by him and drew a foul.
Point being, KU took advantage — over and over and over.
The rematch was no different.
On the first instance, Graham was guarded by 6-9, 240-pound Texas big man Jericho Sims. Graham passed the ball to the corner and Sims doubled, which forced Texas’ other big in the game to rotate onto Graham.
The action left the two Texas big men — and one guard — guarding KU’s two smallest players. It looked as though Matt Coleman, the guard, should've stayed on Newman with the two bigs dropping back down into the paint, but that would've left Sims on Graham, which would have been a total mismatch.
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Regardless, the end result was a wide-open Azubuike under the hoop. Clay Young found him with a perfect chest pass and the rest was easy.
Things went a little differently the second time, but the result was the same.
Graham inbounded the ball and pulled 6-10, 240-pound James Banks away from the basket. He isolated him on the right wing and settled for a long jumper.
Objectively, you’d have to say Texas won the exchange. But it wasn't over.
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Because Banks had to turn and chase the rebound from the perimeter, he wasn’t able to box anyone out or get into position to haul in the board. In the meantime, Lagerald Vick was matched up with a smaller Jacob Young.
Vick sidestepped Young and grabbed the board. He kicked the ball out to the perimeter to Graham, who swung it to Mykhailiuk. The Texas defense was already scrambling at that point, and it was nothing but target practice for a wide-open Mykhailiuk.
The crazy thing is, it wasn’t even the last time KU scored off the Smart-inbound-defending strategy…
… in the first 10 minutes of the game.
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On the third instance, Graham pulled 6-9, 245-pound Dylan Osetkowski away from the hoop by simply running to the 3-point line. Osetkowski initially pointed for someone else to take Graham, but with no one in position to do so, he had to guard the KU senior.
Graham noticed the mismatch and called for an isolation.
*Note how he waves away the potential Azubuike screen.*
He blew by Osetkowski off the bounce, which forced Sims to help. Graham dropped the ball off to Azubuike, who collected it and threw down a dunk.
You'd think at some point the Longhorns might try something a little different. Maybe in the Big 12 tournament.
** * * * **
One that stood out: Ring a bell? —
----------------------------------
It’d be difficult to imagine a more salivating opportunity for a guard.
Malik Newman caught the ball in the right corner with a Texas big closing out on him. Newman had to know that there was no chance of the defender staying with him if he put the ball on the floor, meaning he was essentially a dribble away from getting to throw down an emphatic slam.
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If you’re like me, the dunk made you think of one from about five years ago.
Late in the first half of a 2013 revenge game against TCU, Ben McLemore caught the ball on the wing. There was a TCU player closing out to him, but he had no chance to actually get a stop.
McLemore took two dribbles and exploded to the rim for a dunk. The basket gave him 11 points on the game. At that point, TCU had only nine, but I digress.
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/968973986628554752
I didn’t just bring up that play to talk about the history. Rather, it felt worth noting how KU was able to get such an easy opportunity in the first place.
Off the Texas miss, Mitch Lightfoot executed on a boxout and Graham rebounded the ball. The sequence was similar to a [strategy employed by the Oklahoma City Thunder][5], where the big men would leave rebounds for Russell Westbrook, so he could start the break the other way upon catching the ball.
That wasn’t always the case for KU this year.
After the Iowa State game in Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season, I wrote [about a sequence in which Newman actually boxed out][6] an opposing big man so Azubuike could get an easy rebound. That didn't allow KU to break, since there were three KU players standing 90 feet from the hoop by the time Azubuike passed the ball ahead.
But this time, with Lightfoot doing the hard work, Graham was able to get the board and start the break immediately. That left the defense scrambling and set Newman up with the easiest two points of his career.
Perhaps the flashiest, too.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 74, Tech 72][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 104, OU 74][8]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 77, WVU 69][9]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 83, ISU 77][10]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Baylor 80, KU 64][11]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][12]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][13]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][14]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][15]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][16]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][17]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/smithology/2018/feb/28/udoka-azubuike-playing-with-more-energy-/
[3]: https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/947154251142369280
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/4/14/15308114/russell-westbrook-rebounding-stats-triple-doubles-video
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/11/how-malik-newman-rebounded-from-a-bad-ou/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/25/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/20/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/18/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[10]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[11]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[12]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[13]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[14]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[15]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[16]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[17]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:42:04 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-TTU IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/25/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/24/kansas-basketball-v-texas-tech/123671/
*Devonte' Graham absolutely took over down in Lubbock. Today's 1-3-1 blog shows just how the senior did it — on both ends — as the Jayhawks clinched a record-setting 14th straight Big 12 title. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: Break the tie —
---------------------------------
Devonte’ Graham hit dagger after dagger in his quest to help the Jayhawks defeat Texas Tech.
With about eight minutes left, Graham hit some kind of a Marcus-Denmon-in-Allen-Fieldhouse-only-it-went-in 3-pointer. With less than 40 seconds left, he pulled off an improbable finish at the rim to put KU up two scores.
*(Keep reading, because you’re going to see both of those plays.)*
But it was another shot, a simple isolation pull-up jumper that KU needed — NEEDED — more than any other.
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KU led by eight with four-and-a-half minutes left. The Red Raiders then went on a 7-0 run in less than 90 seconds to cut the deficit to one. Thirty seconds after that, the game was tied. KU called timeout.
Out of the huddle, the ball went into the hands of Svi Mykhailiuk. He fired off a 3-pointer from the left wing late in the shot clock, and it missed. Mykhailiuk got his own miss — a worthy candidate for play of the game, too — and reset the offense.
KU’s next shot went to Graham. The senior cut to the hoop and went up for a two-handed layup. The shot was erased by Tech’s Zhaire Smith. Just 18 seconds on the shot clock remained.
Graham went and got the ball and then he dribbled — and dribbled and dribbled and dribbled some more.
Finally, with the clock down to seven seconds, he made his move. He crossed over at the top of the key and shook off Zach Smith. He pulled up for two and knocked down the shot that broke the tie.
You can’t win the game if you don’t take the lead.
** * * * **
A trend: #BIDG? —
-----------------
I’ll admit, when the hashtag #BIDG appeared in my mentions I rolled my eyes. Some things — like the anthem that belonged to 2017 national player of the year Frank Mason — should probably stay with the player they were intended for.
https://twitter.com/dfitt08/status/967548368682672130
But for at least the second half of Saturday’s game, Devonte’ Graham was Frank Mason. He put KU on his back — on both ends — and would not let his team lose.
Let’s go to the film.
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This play was almost identical to the first part of one made by Mason last year — save for a broken chair or two.
Against K-State in his senior season, Mason made a save while diving out of bounds. He crashed into press row but was able to fling the ball in bounds and eventually come up with a steal on a play that KU coach Bill Self later described as season-defining.
The Graham version didn’t have the steal at the end, but it had just about everything else.
Niem Stevenson passed the ball to Norense Odiase, who had his back to the basket. Graham rotated from the weak side to help in the post. He knocked the ball away and then chased after it, lunging toward the sideline and flinging it back over his head as his momentum carried him out of bounds.
Zach Smith picked off the heave, but he was pressured instantly by Marcus Garrett. Smith tried to drop it off to Keenan Evans but Svi Mykhailiuk read the play and got into the passing lanes before sprinting down the court to draw a foul.
If that sequence didn’t make you think of a Mason-sparked run, though, it was hard to think of anything else on a play Graham made late in the contest — even if it involved a bit of luck.
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With the Jayhawks up two and less than a minute to play, a bucket wouldn’t quite seal the game, but it would start to make 14 straight feel a whole lot closer.
Graham dribbled at the top of the key to take valuable seconds off the clock for the Red Raiders. He crossed over on Jarrett Culver and began his drive to the rim with about seven on the shot clock once again.
As he drove, Graham carried the ball like a running back. He had the ball knocked down from his hands but he quickly regained control and launched up a prayer of a shot from his hip.
“That layup he made late was probably better lucky than good,” Self said.
For what it’s worth, Graham, a mere 44.2 percent [finisher at the rim this season][2], agreed.
“The layup, it was a crazy wild layup,” Graham said. “That was definitely luck to go in.”
His next play? Not so much.
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Immediately following the Graham layup, the Jayhawks sprinted back down the floor on defense. They set up in a 2-3 zone and needed a stop to seal the win.
Evans dribbled the ball up the court and then passed it off to Culver. As he did so, Graham fought through a screen and helped swarm the Texas Tech guard, poking the ball away to create a chance at a turnover.
Culver, a freshman, stayed on his feet while trying to pick up the ball. Graham, a senior, dove onto the court and knocked it away to Lagerald Vick.
It was a final reminder of Mason, who made plays on the defensive end over and over at game point throughout his KU career. Most notably, the former Jayhawk came up with a clutch steal in the World University Games championship round against Germany and did so again in the triple-overtime thriller against Oklahoma, poking the ball away from Buddy Hield while guarding the inbounds pass.
** * * * **
One that stood out: A role reversal —
-------------------------------------
Take a deep breath, KU fans.
I’m about to compare a shot by Graham to one of a Missouri player — a player who might have been the biggest reason for KU’s final loss to the Tigers.
There’s good news, though. The Missouri player missed the shot I’m talking about and it was in a game that KU won in Lawrence, not the one in Columbia.
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/967589148965195776
Marcus Denmon could have buried the Jayhawks on Missouri’s way out of the Big 12. Up by three with less than 35 seconds left in Allen Fieldhouse, the guard dribbled against Travis Releford and launched a high-arching 3-pointer to beat the shot clock.
Denmon’s shot hit both sides of the rim and just narrowly missed. Thomas Robinson hauled in the board. The rest was history.
When Graham pulled up for a 3-pointer with eight-and-a-half minutes left, that was exactly the shot on my mind.
Only Graham made his.
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With the shot clock winding down and Vick aimlessly dribbling on the perimeter, Graham backed up to half court to receive the ball. Vick’s pass was deflected, giving Graham all of four seconds and 40 feet to the basket to traverse to make a play.
He didn’t disappoint.
Graham took one dribble with his left hand and pulled up while fading to his right. The shot swished through the net. And Graham was just getting started.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 104, OU 74][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 77, WVU 69][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 83, ISU 77][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Baylor 80, KU 64][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][8]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][9]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][10]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][11]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][12]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://hoop-math.com/Kansas2018.php
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/20/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/18/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[10]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[11]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[12]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Sun, 25 Feb 2018 12:35:41 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/25/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-OU IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/20/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/19/kansas-basketball-v-oklahoma/123599/
*Kansas shot 16 for 29 from 3 against Oklahoma. Crazy thing is, the Jayhawks probably should've made even more. Today’s 1-3-1 blog takes you through the Sooners’ defensive lapses, several of which were caused by freshman sensation Trae Young. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: The first one, no less —
----------------------------------------
It’s hard to find a singular *play of the game* in a 30-point blowout. Yet no play proved more indicative of the final result than the first one.
Literally, the first one.
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On KU’s first offensive possession — and for the entire game — the OU guards were switching on defense, not unlike what KU does. As Devonte’ Graham came around a screen from Svi Mykhailiuk, Christian James switched off with Kristian Doolittle.
Mykhailiuk popped around a Udoka Azubuike screen and James was slow reacting. He faded all the way to the right side of the free throw line before trying to sprint out to contest the shot, with no clear path to do so.
The shot itself rolled in and out, but it was promising for the Jayhawks to get such a wide-open look on their very first play.
Sixteen 3-pointers later, the performance was less *promising* and more of a bloodbath.
** * * * **
A trend: Why so many? —
-----------------------
OU’s defense wasn’t limited to a single or even a single group of gaffes.
So it almost feels crazy to say, but, in a game the Jayhawks shot a blistering 16 for 29 from 3, I’d tell you they should’ve made more — a lot more.
Let’s go to the film.
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The first play I’ve tagged, coming just over four minutes into the game, actually showed a pretty heady play by Graham.
On the first part of the play you can see Graham, on the wing, looking at the ball. He saw the OU defense react to Malik Newman’s drive. Kameron McGusty was guarding Newman and James came off Mykhailiuk by a few steps to help.
Now it was Graham's turn to step into Mykhailiuk's shoes.
Knowing how the OU defense would play the drive, this time from Mykhailiuk, Graham positioned himself back a few feet of the 3-point line. It's a very valid strategy, and one [employed by one of the best 3-point shooting teams][2] in the NBA: the Houston Rockets.
Here's the synopsis: Want an open 3-point look? Take a step back.
So when Mykhaliliuk took his turn driving — and James went to help — Graham was wide open from about 24 feet.
Nothing but net.
The second play was a lot simpler. It was a breakdown the Sooners were guilty of all night, yet for whatever reason didn’t work to correct.
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Halfway through the shot clock Lagerald Vick dribbled to his left and came off a screen by Azubuike. It was a fairly broken play, evident by the visible confusion of Azubuike at the beginning of the play, who gestured as if to ask, “What’s going on?”
Vick went past the screen, yet for some reason Rashard Odomes decided to go under it.
That would have been the correct way to defend it had the ball handler been someone like Marcus Garrett (26.5 percent on 3s), but it certainly wasn’t for Vick, a 37.5 percent 3-point shooter entering the day.
Vick, of course, knocked down the jumper in rhythm.
The final play had a similar element, but really it was just one of laziness.
The Jayhawks targeted Trae Young’s defense in Norman and for good reason. With the load he carries on offense, it would be impossible for him to compete at an extremely high level consistently on the other end.
Mykhailiuk took Young off the dribble early, getting to the basket for an easy layup in the opening minutes of the game. But Young, who was responsible for KU baskets on several possessions, did no worse job defending than on a possession midway through the first half.
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Graham caught a pass from Mykhailiuk and took a dribble to his right. Mitch Lightfoot came out to set a screen, meaning Young should’ve attempted to try to go over it to keep the guard from getting a wide-open shot — similar to the Vick play.
The funny thing is, it doesn’t even look like Lightfoot thought he’d have a chance to screen Young.
Before Young even tried to get around Lightfoot, the KU big man had broken from his screen and was rolling toward the hoop. The action, which can be referred to as a slip screen, ended up entirely removing Young from the play. Young inexplicably went under where the screen would have been and got caught up on Lightfoot's body.
Graham picked up his dribble, paused for a full second and put up the shot. He missed the shot — KU did miss 13 3s on the day — but the Jayhawks got the rebound back.
Would it shock you if I told you they hit a 3 on the ensuing possession?
** * * * **
One that stood out: Gotta get back —
------------------------------------
Everyone knows a college basketball court is 94 feet long. A quick Google search reveals it’s also about 50 feet wide.
Case in point, it’s easier to get across one way than it is the other, especially when the other guy isn't running very hard.
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Less than four minutes into the game, Young had a fast-break layup attempt contested by Mykhailiuk and missed. Azubuike got the rebound and threw the ball ahead to Newman.
Young fell down under the hoop and was slow getting back down the court. That left KU with a five-on-four advantage. The play was pretty simple.
With Young jogging back behind Azubuike and stopping at the top of the key, he essentially put himself on Mykhailiuk, who James was already guarding. He pointed back toward the hoop to signal for someone to pick up Vick, but it was already too late.
On the play, each of the Sooners had to make a decision:
- McGusty had to choose between Graham and Vick. He chose Graham, probably the right call.
- James had to guard Mykhailiuk.
- Jamuni McNeace, OU’s lone big, waited for Azubuike, who would've otherwise had an uncontested dunk.
- Doolittle stopped the ball, picking up Newman.
That meant Vick could traverse a majority of the 50 feet on the baseline and still catch the ball, turn around and have a wide-open path to the hoop.
Oh, and the basket capped off a 10-0 start for the Jayhawks, who would still outscore the Sooners by 20 more from that point on.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 77, WVU 69][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 83, ISU 77][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Baylor 80, KU 64][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][8]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][9]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][10]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][11]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/1/20/14284896/houston-rockets-three-point-stats-mike-dantoni
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/18/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[10]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[11]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:21:16 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/20/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-WVU IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/18/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/17/kansas-basketball-v-west-virginia/123568/
*West Virginia dared Udoka Azubuike to make a play, and it was exactly what he did — three times, no less. Today’s 1-3-1 blog explains just how the big man came through on defense in KU's 77-69 win over West Virginia, plus a pair of plays that show how the Mountaineers may have taken their foot off the gas late. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: ‘We attacked them’ —
--------------------------------------
If you’re like me, when you watch a game there’s usually a play or two that — for whatever reason — feel exponentially bigger than they actually are.
That play, to me, came at the 4:23 mark in the second half. KU was still behind by six when it began and five when it ended, but when I saw it, I couldn’t help but think back to the words spoken by the Jayhawks following their comeback win in Morgantown.
“I told the guys that I felt like they had kind of relaxed and taken their foot off the pedal,” Devonte’ Graham said at the time. “So we attacked them.”
Let’s go to the film.
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This play started with a mishap, as Graham hit the floor on the defensive end of the court and was late getting down the floor. West Virginia doubled Lagerald Vick as he brought the ball up, but Vick was able to get the ball to a wide-open Graham as he joined the Jayhawks on offense.
The defense had to rotate and Graham swung the ball to Malik Newman. Newman's open 3-pointer was just off the mark.
As Newman’s shot went up, Svi Mykhailiuk watched for about a half-second and then sprinted toward the rim. He jumped up from one side of the restricted area and caught the ball with one hand on the other. West Virginia had four players in the paint during that time.
Mykhailiuk was instantly swarmed by Jevon Carter, one of the top defenders in the nation, yet he kept his composure, took what the defense was giving him — in this case, the baseline — and then found Vick. The play resulted in a foul and free throws, of which Vick made one.
Oh, and the Jayhawks went on a 17-0 run starting on the next trip down the floor. Try telling me that was a coincidence.
** * * * **
A trend: Udoka the defensive back? —
----------------------------------
For those that don’t know, a cross screen is an action that can occur by the basket. Two players — usually forwards — will stand on either side of the paint. One will set a screen, almost always directly in front of the hoop, while the other runs from one block to the other.
The action isn’t especially hard to defend and can usually be switched, but when dealing with two players as dramatically different as, say, 7-foot, 280-pound Udoka Azubuike and 6-5 180-pound Marcus Garrett, switching isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do. It'll create a pretty drastic mismatch.
West Virginia went to the action early and often against Kansas, but Azubuike almost singlehandedly disrupted it.
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On one instance, just less than seven minutes into the game, Daxter Miles came off a cross screen from Sagaba Konate. Azubuike and Garrett switched, but Azubuike knew Garrett wouldn’t be able to handle the bigger Konate straight up.
As the pass came in, Azubuike jumped across the paint, grabbed the ball like a defensive back and was fouled.
“What an alert play by Udoka Azubuike,” said announcer Jay Bilas on the call for ESPN. “Playing the ball instead of playing his man.”
There was plenty more to come.
The next time the Mountaineers tried this play, they actually tried to disguise it a little better. Miles first faked like he was going to come off the screen and then faded back to the corner. Garrett, who was in good position to fight through the screen the first time, relaxed, and Miles sprung into action, coming off the screen and again forcing a switch.
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This time, Miles kept running out to the corner with the hope of keeping Azubuike from being able to help on Konate, but Azubuike didn’t bite, reading the play the whole way and jumping to knock the ball out of bounds.
Oh, and he did it in the clutch, too.
Arguably the biggest defensive play of the game for KU came with about 25 seconds left. Miles, who had already hit six 3-pointers was wide open for 3, but he instead opted to sling a pass in toward Esa Ahmad in the paint.
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Don’t get me wrong. This was an extremely ill advised pass, and one that should have never been made. However, Azubuike still had to have the awareness to come off Konate and knock the ball away to Graham.
And hey, if the whole basketball thing doesn’t work out, Azubuike could try his hand at another sport. After all, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was watching in the stands. Maybe he could use an oversized free safety.
** * * * **
One that stood out: ‘Booooring’ —
---------------------------------
If you go to enough high school games you’ll hear the same chant over and over when teams try to run down the clock and hold for the last shot of a quarter.
*“Boooo-ring. Boooo-ring. Boooo-ring. Boooo-ring. Boooo-ring.”*
Up by 10 in the second half, West Virginia employed a similar strategy on Saturday. The surprising thing was how early it started.
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“Even when they were on offense, I felt like they were just holding the ball,” said Garrett. “I was very surprised when they were just holding it.”
With more than 8-and-a-half minutes to play, Carter was content to dribble out the clock. He waited until there were nine seconds left on the shot clock to even call for a screen. He started making his move with seven seconds left.
The eventual shot missed, but the Mountaineers got the rebound. Carter called for the ball and then dribbled back toward the top of the key, content to take 20 more seconds off the clock.
“I don’t know what the thinking was,” said KU coach Bill Self. “But I do think when you’re down double figures and the other team’s going to use 25-30 seconds every shot clock and they get 40 percent of their misses back, you would think you’re not going to have that many opportunities to come back.”
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins explained the thinking after the game, saying he told his team to take care of the ball — unlike the last meeting between the two teams in Allen Fieldhouse. He wasn’t totally on board with how things worked out, though, asking himself a rhetorical question to cement his point.
“Did i want them to run it down to nine seconds on the clock?” said an agitated Huggins after the game. “No.”
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 83, ISU 77][2]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Baylor 80, KU 64][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][8]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][9]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Sun, 18 Feb 2018 11:41:51 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/18/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-ISU IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/13/kansas-basketball-v-iowa-state/123507/
*Lagerald Vick's best play on Tuesday didn't even show up on the stat sheet. Today’s 1-3-1 blog explains just how the junior guard got some of his mojo back in KU's 83-77 win in Hilton Coliseum, plus what Marcus Garrett did against Iowa State to excite KU coach Bill Self. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: Just get a stop —
---------------------------------
In the midst of a late-game meltdown-that-wasn't-really-a-meltdown that prompted KU coach Bill Self to say his team played like it had never been coached, the Jayhawks were still firmly in control of Iowa State.
Despite missing the front ends of two one-and-ones — and fouling twice the other way — KU led by five with less than 20 seconds remaining. The Jayhawks were a stop away from essentially putting the game on ice.
Here's how the ensuing sequence went down.
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Lindell Wigginton dribbled down the court and was picked up by Devonte' Graham. With no Iowa State players in the paint — and thus no KU players guarding them there — there wasn't any back-side help, so Graham had to keep Wigginton in front of him, something that has been a problem for KU guards this year.
Unable to get by Graham, Wigginton passed the ball off to Donovan Jackson, who popped off a Cameron Lard screen at the top of the key. Mitch Lightfoot switched onto Jackson, and Lard pulled Lagerald Vick away to make sure he couldn't help.
It was down to a one-on-one matchup and Lightfoot came out on top.
Lightfoot, who most likely played late-game because of his free throw shooting (82.4 percent on the year) as compared to Udoka Azubuike (41.7), stayed on his toes, bouncing around and taking a small hop back as Jackson faked like he was going to drive.
Jackson stepped back and pulled up for a 3. Lightfoot contested the shot, forcing him into an airball that was rebounded by Lagerald Vick, who passed it right out to Graham.
The Jayhawks were far from perfect in their late-game execution, but on the final sequence, just about everything worked to perfection. And considering some of the woes they've had this season, it certainly was a step in the right direction.
** * * * **
A trend: Bouncing back —
------------------------
Vick's skid since the start of Big 12 play had been anything but under-the-radar. Yet the junior started to show signs of life against Iowa State that should give fans reason to be optimistic moving forward.
Vick, whose activity level on the court drew criticism from Self — and cost him a spot in the starting lineup — made one of the biggest plays of Tuesday's game being exactly that: active.
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With right around seven minutes left and KU up seven, Azubuike blocked a shot by Lard, but the ball bounced right to Wigginton. As the ball slid through Wigginton's hands, Vick pounced, breaking away from his box out of Zoran Talley Jr. and getting the tie up.
And what better way to follow up that play than with another on the other end?
The very next trip down the court, Graham dribbled the ball to his left and passed it off to Vick. Vick, who Self said earlier in the season should exploit mismatches and drive more, turned the corner on Nick Weiler-Babb and exploded to the rim, finishing with a tough lay in over Lard.
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While there were plenty of plays to choose from, the final one I've highlighted wasn't as flashy as a basket — or even a jump ball. It was simply the effort that Self has demanded of him all season.
With Weiler-Babb pushing the ball up the court in transition, the KU defense wasn't properly matched up. KU's wings were in the right spots, but Graham wasn't in great position and Lightfoot had to slide over to defend a potential shot at the rim.
With Vick's man, Soloman Young, still well beyond the 3-point line, Vick didn't have any guarding responsibilities. So as Weiler-Babb drove toward the hoop, Vick dropped down from the 3-point line and jumped to rebound the ball — above the rim, the way Self wants.
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Vick, who scored 16 points on the day, didn't get the board, but he kept Lard from hauling it in cleanly. The ball ended up in the hands of Malik Newman, and KU took it the other way.
Self was more complimentary of Vick's effort after the game, but he stopped short from a ringing endorsement.
"I actually thought they tried to guard," Self said of Vick and Newman, "and their energy level was better."
Regardless, Vick's play was a welcome sign to KU fans — and at least one former player, too.
"Guys are starting to play better," said guard Sherron Collins, whose jersey will be retired in Allen Fieldhouse next week. "Vick is coming back. He's coming along."
** * * * **
One that stood out: 'A play ... that nobody's made all year' —
-----------------------------
Speaking of things that don't show up in the stat sheet, Marcus Garrett is the perfect example of a player who may not post big numbers, but can make a big difference on the court. The Iowa State game was in fact a perfect representation of that idea.
Garrett had only three points, one rebound and one assist against the Cyclones, yet he had a plus/minus of +18, more than three times as high as any other KU player.
*(A score of +18 given the final score means the Jayhawks outscored their opponents by 18 points when he was on the floor and were outscored by 12 points when he was off it.)*
"He made a play the other night that nobody's made all year," Self said, "nobody's made all year for us."
That play — coming late in the first half — showcased Garrett's high IQ.
Garrett was guarding Jackson on the perimeter. Jackson lobbed the ball to Lard (listed 6-9, 225 pounds) in the post, who started to back down the smaller Lightfoot (listed 6-8, 210).
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"(Garrett is) guarding a good offensive player, but he knows exactly how far he should dive," Self said. "He waited for him to bounce it, took it on the first bounce or second bounce."
Garrett watched the ball the whole way and swooped in and made a play on the ball. He wasn't finished, though, sprinting down to the other end of the court in transition in a sequence that eventually led to a Newman 3-pointer.
“He’s not scoring 25 points or getting 10 rebounds or anything like that,” said Graham. “Just the little plays.”
Not bad for a freshman.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [Baylor 80, KU 64][2]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][8]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Thu, 15 Feb 2018 14:31:01 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/15/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-Baylor IIhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/10/kansas-basketball-v-baylor/123457/
*Udoka Azubuike snapped his head back and dropped the ball on the ground. Today’s 1-3-1 blog explains what went into his frustrations, plus how each of his fouls happened in Baylor's 80-64 win over the Jayhawks. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: An untimely own goal
--------------------------------------
Ever have one of those days where you can’t just catch a break?
You might have more in common with the KU men’s basketball team than you think.
“God, could anything more go wrong," said KU coach Bill Self, "on a day you get guys injured in warmups to basically dunking the ball for the other team.”
Not much, as it were.
Despite only scoring 20 points in the first half, the Jayhawks gutted their way back into the game against Baylor, an 80-64 loss. They pulled within two on a 3-pointer from Devonte’ Graham and did so again after a jumper by Lagerald Vick.
His next points didn’t quite go so well.
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The own goal — or perhaps ‘Self-basket,' if you'd rather — was a perfect representation of KU’s inability to get over the hump. It also didn’t come by pure happenstance.
KU was in a 2-3 zone, which can create rebounding issues in of itself. The guards flew all around the court as Jake Lindsey dribbled and settled into more natural positions as he passed the ball to Mark Vital.
Vital attacked the hoop, and Udoka Azubuike moved to contest the shot. Svi Mykhailiuk probably could’ve done so just fine, especially with no Baylor players in the corner to worry about, but he slid past Vital.
Baylor’s Jo Lual-Acuil had inside position and, since Azubuike wasn’t there to block him out, had a straight shot to get the rebound. Vick had to hustle to try to get between him and the ball, but as he jumped up to get the rebound, he actually knocked it back into the hoop.
The play killed KU's momentum, preventing them from having a chance to tie the game — or take the lead — on the next possession. They pulled within two one more time, but that was as close as it got.
** * * * **
A trend: Hands off —
--------------------
If Vick's mishap was frustrating, Azubuike's day put him on a whole other level.
The 7-foot, 280-pound big man picked up his fourth foul at the 17:54 mark in the second half of Saturday’s game. Self had plenty to say about that one — and all of them.
Let’s take a look at the first.
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There’s no real way to sugarcoat this one. It’s a flop, and it isn’t a particularly good one.
Azubuike made contact with Lual-Acuil’s chest. A half-second later, the big man fell onto the floor and the charge was called..
“Hey we’ve gotten some calls, too, so I’m not saying we haven’t benefited from some whistles,” Self said with a laugh. “But that was one of the biggest flops I’ve ever seen. I mean the guy fell down a full second after supposedly there was contact.”
But Azubuike does wear some of the call — mostly because of the predictability.
“The whole deal, everybody knows that he’s going to lead with his left shoulder when he’s on the left block,” Self said. “He’s got to be smarter than that, to do that.”
Not all the fouls on Saturday were that embellished.
After defending Lual-Acuil well in the post, Azubuike was called for a foul for shoving Vital in the back.
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It was a clear foul — Azubuike put both hands on Vital’s back — but it probably wouldn’t have been called if Vital had a better base and didn’t fall. It also would’ve been avoided entirely if… well... hear it from the coach:
“His second foul was a loose-ball foul. No one’s fault,” Self said. “The rebound goes through (Graham’s) hands. If (Graham) rebounds the ball, it never happens.”
Azubuike’s third foul didn’t have any such explanation. It was fairly standard, as he didn’t get into defensive position on the baseline quick enough and then had to jump forward to contest a shot by Vital, sending him to the ground in the process.
His fourth foul was the opposite. There wasn’t a loose ball, or even a live ball to go after. Really, it may have been the culmination of some frustrations earlier in the game — more on that in a second.
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“The one that disappointed me,” Self said, “he just ran and ran right up a guy’s back, which was obvious. Easy call.”
Again, there was probably a little bit of an embellishment from Lual-Acuil, who was boxing out Azubuike on the play. But Azubuike didn’t do himself any favors.
He put both hands on Lual-Acuil and shoved him. The ball went in the net, but Azubuike still got tagged with the foul on what was a day full of frustration.
“I’m not saying they were bad calls. I’m not saying that at all,” Self said. “I’m just saying, just a little bit unfortunate in that particular game.”
** * * * **
One that stood out: Boiling point —
-----------------------------------
Before Azubuike’s fourth foul — 12 seconds before, in fact — he was standing under the hoop and letting out some frustration.
The bugaboo that caused it? A mishap between he, Graham and Mykhailiuk that allowed a rebound to bounce right to the Bears for an easy putback.
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There were a few elements to this play that caused the rebound.
Earlier in the possession, Graham (6-2, 185 pounds) switched onto the bigger Tristan Clark (6-9, 240). When Clark and Vital stood near each other later in the possession, Mykhailiuk (6-8, 205) made a smart play, nudging Graham off the bigger man so that he could use some of his extra size in guarding him.
But Graham never really left the area, instead stepping toward Lual-Acuil and then hanging around the basket to go after the rebound.
Had Graham ran out to the perimeter, he could’ve boxed Vital out or even potentially discouraged him from going after the rebound in the first place. Given how well Mykhailiuk executed his boxout, Azubuike would’ve snagged the board without a problem.
Instead, Graham hung by the basket. The putback went up and in. Azubuike caught the ball and snapped his head back in frustration. He set the ball back down rather than tossing it to Graham and then ran back down the court.
Oh, and a tidbit pointed out by [KU basketball beat writer Matt Tait][2], take a look at the top of the screen at the end of the play.
Mykhailiuk was ready to run. Graham was pushing the tempo up the court throughout the entire second half. But Azubuike slowed it all down by dropping the ball in frustration. Those are the types of things that will drive not only a coach crazy, but disrupt the whole team in the process.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 71, TCU 64][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, K-State 56][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [OU 85, KU 80][7]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][8]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: https://twitter.com/mctait/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Mon, 12 Feb 2018 16:13:36 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/12/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-TCUhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/06/kansas-basketball-v-tcu/123419/
*Svi Mykhailiuk was held to just two shot attempts by TCU. Today’s 1-3-1 blog explains how the Horned Frogs were able to smother the senior guard, plus a look into a pair of smart plays made by Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot in the Jayhawks' 71-64 win over TCU. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: ‘You see what Dok just did?’ —
----------------------------------------
Udoka Azubuike had probably his best rebounding game of the season against TCU. He hit two huge free throws when TCU fouled him intentionally and made six of his 10 shots from the field.
Yet his biggest — or perhaps smartest — play, was what sparked a slew of compliments from ESPN broadcaster Fran Fraschilla.
“You see what Dok just did on that rebound?” asked Fraschilla, calling the game on ESPN. “That’s a heads up a play. Smart play.”
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Ahead by just five points with 25 seconds left, the Jayhawks defended a TCU possession and forced a contested 3 by Kenrich Williams.
Azubuike showed good awareness, finding and boxing out TCU big man Vlad Brodziansky and leaping to rebound the ball — above the rim, the way Self likes. Still, it was just a five point game, and with KU shooting a 1-and-1 on the next TCU foul, things were far from over.
The 7-foot, 280-pound big man made sure he wouldn’t be the one deciding things at the line.
“He got the ball in the air,” Fraschilla said, “and he got rid of it before they could foul him.”
It certainly shows some growth.
Flash back to Dec. 16.
Azubuike, who erupted for 26 points and 10 rebounds — though only five defensive boards — recorded what should have been the game-ending block and board against Nebraska. However, after grabbing the ball with about five seconds left, he waited an additional 1.1 seconds to chuck it up the court.
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/961698144210817026
For some reason, Nebraska's players did not immediately foul, a decision that ended the game. Even if Azubuike, improbably, made two free throws, Nebraska would’ve had at least four seconds left and a couple of timeouts to figure something out down three.
This time, Azubuike didn’t leave it up to the other team. He found Malik Newman and that was that.
** * * * **
A trend: How TCU frustrated a KU senior —
----------------------------------------
Svi Mykhailiuik’s dunk at the end of the above play carried with it some frustration. Yes, it earned him a [bit of a talking-to][2] from a nearby referee, but it was one of the only opportunities he even had to put up a shot in the second half.
After tabbing 70 shot attempts over his last four games, Mykhailiuk was held to just one point on 0-for-2 shooting on Tuesday, mostly due to how TCU chose to defend him.
Mykhailiuk, who scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting in Fort Worth, seemed to be targeted by the Horned Frogs. Seldom did he have the chance to break loose on Tuesday, and even when he did, it wasn't for long.
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On this play in the first half, Mykhailiuk slipped a screen and popped out behind the 3-point line. He was open for a split second, but then two TCU defenders quickly helped onto him, one of which actually left Devonte’ Graham wide open in the corner in the process.
With the TCU defenders guarding Mykhailiuk all the way out to the perimeter, it was a tough night for the 6-8 guard. Often times it was Williams who drew the primary assignment of guarding Mykhailiuk, but the Horned Frogs were quick to switch when he was involved in any action around the perimeter, keeping him from getting any space coming off a screen — although it did open Mykhailiuk up to drive past the bigger Brodziansky on occasion.
Sometimes it created other holes in the defense, too.
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With KU running a 1-5 pick-and-roll, Kouat Noi likely would’ve either switched onto Graham or at least come out for a hard hedge. Sensing that, Mitch Lightfoot never set the screen and instead slipped to the hoop for the easy lay-in.
Later, TCU completely lost sight of Mykhailiuk. Noi helped on Azubuike on the post, forcing Williams to slide over and guard Graham. It’s clear that Williams was expecting Noi to eventually switch onto Mykhailiuk, but he didn’t, leading to a moment where Mykhailiuk was running across the court completely unimpeded.
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Ultimately, the Jayhawks weren’t able to get Mykhailiuk the ball in a position to score on that play, which was often the case on Tuesday. Self noted afterward it was possible Mykhailiuk wasn’t feeling 100 percent, though he was quick to add the swingman wouldn’t use that as an excuse.
“I think TCU, they did a couple of subtle things that were really clever in defending us,” Self said. “We didn't force help off ball screens because of the way they switched it and did some things. There are some clever things they did that they deserve credit for.”
** * * * **
One that stood out: Just do your job
------------------------------------
When Lightfoot scored his first basket as a starter, a layup after an offensive rebound, the Allen Fieldhouse crowd let out a roar. Lightfoot, who started the game at the four and moved to the five after Azubuike picked up his first foul, simply did his job, something that became a catch phrase of sorts for the player who held down the five-spot for KU last year.
Landen Lucas was never a specularly exciting player, but he did a number of things — positional defending, screen setting, sealing off defenders — that made KU as a team better on both ends of the floor when he was in the game. Lightfoot channeled one of those in his start on Tuesday, making an unspectacular play that led to an easy KU bucket.
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Graham skied for the rebound off the TCU miss and had his head up as he came down the floor. He threw a pass ahead to Malik Newman, who drove right to the rim and scored.
Simple as that, right?
Watch Lightfoot on the play. He started out by the perimeter, guarding a big man capable of shooting in Brodziansky. When Graham secured the board, Lightfoot ran down the floor and into the paint.
Newman caught the pass from Graham in the right corner and drove around Brodziansky to the hoop. There should’ve been help from TCU’s Alex Robinson on the drive, but Lightfoot positioned his body and stuck out his arms to seal off the defender and allow Newman an easy path to the rim.
It wasn't a flashy play — quite boring, actually — but it's exactly what KU needed.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [OSU 84, KU 79][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, KSU 56][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][5]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Oklahoma 85, KU 80][6]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][7]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: https://twitter.com/mctait/status/961089161091534850
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[7]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:01:51 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/8/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-OSUhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/feb/03/kansas-basketball-v-oklahoma-state/123382/
*The 1-3-1 breakdown from KU’s 84-79 home loss to Oklahoma State explains how the Cowboys were able to steal 24 seconds away in the final minute-and-a-half, plus a look at some of the plays leading up to Lagerald Vick’s benching. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: Every second counts —
---------------------------------------
As a college basketball fan I’ve always been confused as to why teams don't play the clock more. Think of the following scenario:
There are 45 seconds left in the first half. KU has the ball, inbounding under its own hoop. What happens next?
In this scenario, KU will almost always hurry to get the ball inbounds and take a quick shot to secure the 2-for-1 — a concept that allows KU two of the last three possessions of the half. The Jayhawks might get the ball back with seven seconds or so remaining, but two attempts at a shot, even if they're only shots that would go in 25 percent of the time, still give them a pretty good chance to end up with some points.
But Oklahoma State doesn't have to comply.
Since the clock doesn’t stop on a made field goal in the first half, the other team could legally stall for five seconds — or semi-legally stall for even more time — and minimize that difference. Oklahoma State did exactly that in the second half on Saturday, and it turned out to be pretty important.
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There is 1:08 left when the shot goes in.
There is 1:03 left when the referee starts his five count.
There are 58.2 seconds left when the shot clock starts.
There are 55.2 seconds left when KU takes its foul to give.
Doesn't the clock stop in the second half, though? If you're like me, you were a little confused about the ruling.
However, the [NCAA rules only state][2] that the scorers stop the game clock when “a goal is successful (clears the bottom of the net) in the last 59.9 seconds of the second period or any overtime period,” leaving a loophole of sorts for baskets that are counted just before the clock dips under a minute.
So the shot goes in at 1:08 and should be inbounded by 1:03, but the Cowboys are — likely intentionally — slow getting to the ball, leaving time for players to get into the right positions and, more importantly, taking nearly 15 percent of the remaining time off the clock.
But wait, there's more.
Since KU wasn't in the bonus yet, the Cowboys got another chance to inbound the ball. It looked like KU was trying to foul on the ensuing inbound, but the Cowboys were able to go end to end and score with just over 48 seconds left.
All in all, the Cowboys were able to run 20 seconds off the clock and score two points on the exchange. Considering how they started the possession, up six with just under 70 seconds to play, they probably would've taken either result, let alone both.
Oh, and don’t believe me that coaches use these things to their advantage? Watch Bill Self’s reaction on this play.
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/960791282628128769
** * * * **
A trend: So what about that start? —
------------------------------------
If a player is going to rack up 32-plus minutes, mistakes are going to happen. It’s almost impossible to play that many minutes in a game — let alone to average it for a season — and not have lapses. Yet not all mistakes are created equal.
A mistake with six minutes left in the first half when you haven’t gotten a breather all game can be forgivable. Mistakes one or two minutes into the game? Not so much.
Unfortunately for Lagerald Vick, he didn't even last that long.
Let’s take a look at the first possession of Saturday’s game.
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KU was switching on the perimeter, evident by how the guards defended the action by Oklahoma State. Vick even pointed for Svi Mykhailiuk to swap onto another defender at one point, so there were no misunderstandings by the players. At least until the end of the play.
Jeffrey Carroll came off a pair of screens. Devonte’ Graham had no chance to fight through them all the way out to the perimeter, but he didn't have to. Carroll became Vick's responsibility, with a nearby Udoka Azubuike sagging into the paint.
Vick didn't recognize what was happening — even after Graham bumped into him from behind — until it was too late. He gave up a wide-open 3-pointer to a player who had hit at least two of them in 11 of his last 13 games. KU got bailed out by a miss.
I’ve included what happens next in the GIF because it feels just as important. Vick runs down the court, catches a pass and pulls up for a 3. He had the opportunity to drive by a forward who was closing out, but it’s not a terrible look.
But when you compound it with what came before — and add in what happens next — it starts to be a part of a trend.
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Self was probably already about to blow up, but the explosion could’ve at least been delayed to the under-16 media timeout. KU allowed an offensive rebound on its second defensive possession, which featured several players standing around, but there was no need to panic, at least until it happened again with four KU players in and around the paint.
While Vick shouldn’t have necessarily been the one who came up with the rebound, he had already started walking away from the play as if the board were secured. Then he stood around for the rest of the possession, becoming the target of a Self hand-gesture after the Cowboys finally scored.
Now watch what happened next.
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*A big thank you to Michael Coover ([@MichaelCoover][3]) for pointing this play out on Twitter.*
Again, by itself, this play wasn't too big of a deal. Vick dribbled the ball off his foot and it went out of bounds. It happens.
But given the way he started the game, giving up an open 3 and an offensive rebound and missing a 3-pointer early in the clock, that’s the type of effort, or lack thereof, that will drive a coach crazy.
And if there are that many plays like that in the first 184 seconds of the game, it’s not hard to figure out why Self [might want a different body][4] in the starting five.
** * * * **
One that stood out: One more from the end —
----------------------------------------
Earlier in the year, when KU defeated Texas in Austin, I pointed out a pair of instances where Texas coach Shaka Smart disadvantaged his team by putting his best defensive player on the inbounder…
Once…
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/947154251142369280
Twice…
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/947156674237825024
And three times...
https://twitter.com/ChasenScott/status/947158920044347392
When Texas switched to a man-to-man defense, KU ran offense to get the 7-foot Mohamed Bamba isolated onto Graham on the perimeter, meaning the big man was away from the hoop and couldn't help on drives and rebounds.
It’s a little thing, but it’s something that resulted in points for KU on two out of three possessions. Point is, it mattered. And so did this.
https://twitter.com/KCorn24/status/959868060344692736
Kyle raises an interesting point I thought it would be fun to explore.
With only 14.2 seconds left and KU down 3, the strategy wasn’t all that complicated: Go for a steal and then foul. There wasn't much time to waste.
Oklahoma State put KU between a rock and a hard place.
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As Kyle points out, the Cowboys seemed to want to inbound the ball to Kendall Smith, who was being guarded by Graham (four fouls). Smith came off a screen and caught the pass. Graham couldn't foul or he’d be out of the game.
The Cowboys were ultimately able to run four seconds off the clock with this strategy, as Graham was only able to haphazardly poke at the ball and chase after Smith until Marcus Garrett took the foul. But by that point, nearly one-third of the remaining time had bled off the clock.
So going back to Kyle’s question, why wasn’t Graham on the inbounder? He doesn’t really have the length to bother a passer — as would Vick or Mykhailiuk, who guarded the play — but that hasn’t stopped KU in the past.
In thinking about the most iconic moments of Frank Mason’s KU career, three immediately came to my mind. The [game winner in Madison Square Garden][5] was first. His dive [into a table at K-State][6] followed by an improbable return to the play and steal was second.
"Those plays define seasons," Self said at the time.
If you’re like me, the third play you remember is what he did in triple overtime against Oklahoma. Mason crowded Buddy Hield on the sideline as he went to inbound the ball. He jumped up and down, swarming Hield and eventually knocking the ball away and [coming up with a controversial game-winning steal][7].
There are some obvious differences, including where the ball was being inbounded, but it's an interesting question to ask: With four fouls, should Graham have be put in the same situation? Will he be next time?
We’ll just have to wait and see.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, KSU 56][8]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][9]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Oklahoma 85, KU 80][10]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][11]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2017MBB_Table_Crew_Reference_Sheet_2017-18_20171002.pdf
[3]: https://twitter.com/MichaelCoover/status/960629798438490112
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2018/feb/05/ku-coach-bill-self-hopes-adding-mitch-lightfoots-e/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2016/nov/15/fearless-frank-mason-drills-game-winning-shot-77-7/
[6]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2017/feb/06/how-sweep-it-masons-steal-highlights-road-win-k-st/
[7]: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14506453
[8]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[9]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[10]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[11]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:43:35 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/feb/6/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-KSUhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/jan/29/kansas-basketball-v-kansas-state/123298/
*The 1-3-1 breakdown from KU’s 70-56 win over K-State features a strategy employed by the Jayhawks, one not executed by the Wildcats and the defensive highlight of Svi Mykhailiuk's career. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: A simple switch —
---------------------------------
Bill Self said it helped give his players a rest and keep them out of foul trouble. Devonte’ Graham called it the strategy that won Kansas the game.
So how much time did K-State coach Bruce Weber spend preparing for KU's 2-3 zone?
“None,” Weber said following a loss to the Jayhawks in Bramlage Coliseum.
Weber, now in his sixth year with the Wildcats, was flustered by the switch Self made late in the first half and again in the second.
KU hadn’t played much zone on the season — something Weber pointed out after the game — but he still felt his team should have done better against it.
“The last time Baylor zoned us, I don’t know, we carved it apart,” Weber said. “Moved the basketball, was one of the best zone clinics I’ve ever been a part of.”
Monday's game — albeit against a 2-3 zone and not a 1-3-1 — was no such thing.
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K-State had a number of poor possessions against KU's zone, but that one showcased several of the issues.
There was some movement, but it almost felt like the Kansas State offense was operating in slow-motion. On the first ball-reversal, Levi Stockard — No. 34 — was slow getting to the short corner. Then when the ball came back to Dean Wade’s side, Stockard was slow getting to his spot once again.
The Wildcats did run other sets and found some success using a screener against the zone in the second half, but on that possession there was little-to-no execution of the things Weber said he wanted to see.
“Get it inside, move the basketball, misdirect, read the things,” Weber said. “Dean said, ‘(K-State had) no rhythm. I think that’s a great way to phrase (it). And I don’t know why.”
** * * * **
A trend: Gone but not forgotten —
---------------------------------
For the second straight game, a KU opponent tried unsuccessfully to intentionally put KU center Udoka Azubuike on the line.
K-State waited to employ the infamous "Hack-a-Dok" strategy until the second half, but with the Wildcats one foul away from a one-and-one and KU flirting with putting the game out of reach, things were lining up for it to come into play.
“We talked about it at the timeout,” Weber said. “(The referees) warned us ahead of time that it had to be within the normal sequence of the game. I think Dean actually might of tried a couple times and just it didn’t happen.”
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The possession started simply enough. Azubuike stood outside the paint and didn’t even move until he positioned himself for a potential offensive rebound off a Lagerald Vick drive.
The ball was blocked out of bounds with 15 seconds on the shot clock. K-State had another chance to foul.
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This time, KU pretty much played right into K-State’s hands. Not only did Wade tug on Azubuike’s arm as he attempted to cut to receive the pass, Graham actually inbounded the ball right to the 7-foot, 280-pound big man.
Wade followed him out near the perimeter, guarding him closely and trying to knock the ball away, but there wasn’t anything deserving of a foul, so the play continued.
“(Wade) only had one foul,” Weber said of why he wanted to implement the strategy. “But he had to do it on some kind of play, like Oklahoma did.”
The third time around, KU made K-State pay.
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Watch the bottom-left corner of the GIF. You can actually see Weber shaking his head at Wade, and then there’s a closeup of the coach with his arms out, as if he’s saying not to foul.
Well…
“It was the shot clock. It went down to eight and they had the ball out of bounds,” Weber said,” At that point I said, ‘Don’t foul. Let’s get a stop.’”
Easier said than done, apparently.
And even if K-State had wanted to come back and foul the next time, Azubuike wasn't involved in the ensuing play. At the next stoppage, Self took him out of the game entirely, finishing things out with Mitch Lightfoot on the floor.
** * * * **
One that stood out: Left hand, anyone? —
--------------------------------------
Svi Mykhailiuk has had a handful of blocks at the rim over his four-year KU career, but none were anywhere close to the quality of the chase-down swat he pulled off on Xavier Sneed on Monday.
Really, he owes the K-State guard a thank-you note.
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Mykhailiuk’s block was impressive, but it probably shouldn’t have happened.
As Sneed broke down the court, he looked over his right shoulder twice — just like a wide receiver trying to gauge if anyone in the secondary might be able to catch him from behind.
Sneed undoubtedly saw Mykhailiuk, yet he took one more dribble and then tried to finish on the side of the rim Mykhailiuk was on.
If Sneed had adjusted and gone to the other side of the rim, not only would Mykhailiuk have not been able to reach the ball, he would’ve had to crash into Sneed and foul him to get the block.
Instead, Sneed didn’t opt to use his left hand. Well, someone did.
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 79, TAMU 68][2]
1-3-1 breakdown: [Oklahoma 85, KU 80][3]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][4]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Tue, 30 Jan 2018 13:40:52 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/30/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-TAMUhttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/jan/27/kansas-basketball-v-texas-m/123251/
*The 1-3-1 breakdown from KU’s 79-68 win over Texas A&M features a Bill Self-style player making a Bill Self-style play, an analysis of one slumping player and a highlight from one of KU’s most consistent guards. If you have any plays or sequences you’d like to see GIFed please tweet [@ChasenScott][1] or comment below.*
*Previous breakdowns can also be found at the bottom of this story.*
** * * * **
Play of the game: He does what he does —
----------------------------------------
While the Jayhawks played most of Saturday's game comfortably in front of the Aggies, it wasn’t until a play with about 2-and-a-half minutes left that the game felt truly over.
With 2:45 to play and the Jayhawks up 11, Svi Mykhailiuk pulled up for 3 but missed. Udoka Azubuike tapped the rebound away to Marcus Garrett, who reset the possession with a pass out to the top of the key.
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KU coach Bill Self has praised Garrett for his ability to steal extra possessions, a trait that was on display on this play. However, one thing aiding Garrett in crashing the glass was something that has actually hurt the KU offense when he’s been in games this year.
Despite hitting a 3-point shot earlier in the game, Garrett was practically unguarded as he ran from corner to corner. The Aggies had two big men in the game, but 6-10 forward Robert Williams opted to stay in the paint instead of following Garrett to the perimeter, leaving the KU freshman with a free run to the hoop on the offensive glass.
If Williams had kept sight of Garrett, he might have been able to seal him off and haul in the rebound when Azubuike poked the ball away. Williams might have even been able to discourage Garrett from going for the rebound in the first place.
Instead, Garrett ran to the rim, hauled in the board and, rather than going right back up, passed the ball out to Malik Newman. Newman scored to put KU up 13, effectively ending the game in a sequence that certainly factored into Self’s comments after the game.
"Thought he was, other than Svi, the best player in the game," Self said of Garrett, who also finished with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting. "I thought he played great. Best game he's had in a long time."
** * * * **
A trend: Disappearing act —
---------------------------
Few would’ve predicted the recent slump of Lagerald Vick after non-conference play. Vick, who opened his season with a 23-point outburst against Tennessee State, crossed the 20-point threshold five times in non-conference play — and once more in the Big 12 opener — showing impressive growth after a season in which he did so only once.
However, since the Big 12 opener against Texas, Vick has been in a massive slide. Self has had conversations telling his wing he needs to do more, something that hasn’t yet materialized in games.
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Vick, averaging 7.0 points over his last eight games after averaging more than 17 over his first 13, received a pass from Devonte’ Graham around the free throw line.
Like the game against Washington, when Vick [was left open over and over][2] by design of the Huskies' zone, he had plenty of room to operate and put up a floater.
No Aggies contested the shot, yet at the last minute, Vick attempted to thread a pass to Silvio De Sousa, who was completely caught off guard by the move.
Watching from the sideline, Self barked over at the junior.
“Hey Lagerald,” he [said][3], “Shoot it.”
The next possession, that's exactly what Vick did.
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This time, Vick received a bounce pass from Mykhailiuk and turned and shot right away.
That aggressiveness was more of what Self wanted to see, but Vick actually had Newman wide open on the right wing. And if he had held the ball just a second more, Graham was sprinting to the right corner, meaning one of either Newman or Graham could’ve gotten off a wide-open 3-pointer.
Still, the one thing Vick did well on the play was that he didn’t hesitate. Self was unhappy that Vick didn’t drive later in the game when he had mismatches against the Aggies' bigs, but there may have been even bigger problems at work.
When Newman was slumping earlier in the season, Self spoke on several occasions about how he was overthinking things on the offensive end, sometimes leading to hesitancy and other times poor decision-making.
It’s tough to watch the following play and see anything other than a player going through something similar.
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With the Aggies not matching up in transition, Newman was able to float a pass to Vick on the wing. Savion Flagg attempted to intercept the ball but missed, leaving Vick wide open for a 3-pointer.
Rather than taking an escape dribble — one dribble to his right to fully clear the defender — and pulling up, Vick used the first bounce as if it were a hesitation dribble, allowing the defense to react and rotate as he took one more step forward.
(Note how Jay Jay Chandler — No. 0 — rotated onto Azubuike, allowing Aggies forward Tyler Davis to rotate out to Vick.)
The swingman ultimately made his own shot more difficult, having to settle for a contested jumper over the long arms of the 6-10 Davis.
KU actually got the rebound on the air ball and scored later on the possession, but that wasn't the point. Instead, Vick was caught in between taking a 3-pointer and driving the rim, almost as if he were thinking about what the right play to make would be vs. simply making the right one.
Vick finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 31 minutes.
"I thought he was better," Self said, "but I don't think he put his handprint on the game."
** * * * **
One that stood out: Just like a quarterback —
----------------------------------------
It’s a pretty simple principle of basketball: If one player is doubled, somebody is open.
It may not be the best option — such as a poor shooter in an uncomfortable area — but sometimes it's exactly the opposite, a nightmare for the defense.
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xThtam5O8OmCG8a4ak" width="480" height="268" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/xThtam5O8OmCG8a4ak">via GIPHY</a></p>
After gaining control of the ball in the backcourt, Graham dribbled to the top of the arc, where he was almost instantly doubled.
Immediately Vick flashed open, but the 7-foot Azubuike running by Graham actually blocked his sight from that option.
Just like a good quarterback, Graham stayed calm under pressure and went through his progressions. On the replay you can almost see his eyes bounce from Vick to Azubuike out to Mykhailiuk at the 3-point line.
Graham pump faked to Vick to force the defense to commit. He then floated the ball out to Mykhailiuk, who took care of the rest.
“Obviously it wasn't really good in the first half," said Aggies coach Billy Kennedy of the team's 3-point defense. "It just seemed like every bounce, every play, they made it. That's the mark of a really good team."
** * * * **
1-3-1 breakdown: [Oklahoma 85, KU 80][4]
1-3-1 breakdown: [KU 70, Baylor 67][5]
[1]: https://twitter.com/chasenscott
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2017/dec/06/zone-busted-washingtons-strategy-flummoxes-no-2-ka/
[3]: https://twitter.com/mctait/status/957373515430285312
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/
[5]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/22/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/]]>Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:02:09 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/28/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/1-3-1 breakdown: Three under-the-radar moments from KU-Oklahomahttp://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/<![CDATA[http://www2.kusports.com/photos/galleries/2018/jan/23/kansas-basketball-v-oklahoma/123189/
Make no mistake — close games are seldom decided by only one play, player or sequence.
Yes, Udoka Azubuike went 1 for 8 at the line, but the Jayhawks could’ve scored in other ways.
KU missed 22 3-pointers — one or two of those might’ve changed the situation entirely — while Lagerald Vick, Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte’ Graham shot a combined 15 for 44 (34.1 percent) from the field.
But once a close game gets to its final stages, every mistake is amplified, including one made by KU’s leader against the Sooners.
Devonte’ Graham was matched up on Trae Young for Oklahoma’s final possession of the 85-80 KU loss. Graham had done a decent job on Young, holding him to single-digit field-goal attempts for the first time this season and likely the first time in multiple years. (Young averaged better than 40 points per game in high school.)
So then it made sense for there to be extra attention on Young as Brady Manek came up to set a screen. But what happened was a lapse KU could not afford.
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohs5IKsg2i7kL5nj2" width="480" height="307" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohs5IKsg2i7kL5nj2">via GIPHY</a></p>
"The last one was on me," Graham said, admitting he and Svi Mykhailiuk were supposed to switch on the play.
Manek's screen was never set, as Mykhailiuk tipped his hand a little early and the OU forward sprung out behind the 3-point line, but KU had the right players in place to defend the play.
Mykhailiuk and Graham are more than familiar with each other, having played four years together and sharing a tight bond off the court.
It didn’t help them on Tuesday.
“We should’ve had the ball with a chance to tie or win,” Self said. “This happens a lot of time in sports. You know what you're supposed to do, but you think you can guard Trae better than the guy that you'd be switching with. And so you stay."
"That was a situation where they slipped the ball screen and obviously we didn't do a good job. ... And he's a great shooter."
***---***
'Hack-a-Dok'
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So much of Tuesday’s game was centered on the strategy of Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger to have his team intentionally foul KU’s Udoka Azubuike, but various things around and during that time also went under the radar.
For example, if Self had deviated from his normal strategy, or if the referees had chosen to call a foul earlier in the game, Azubuike would’ve never been in that situation in the first place.
Kruger, who told his team to foul with about 3 minutes left, almost didn’t have to worry about the big man. Azubuike committed two fouls in the first half and was subsequently pulled, playing only five minutes.
Then he picked up two more — and nearly one on top of that — which might have revealed a way Self could get around the free throw issues altogether.
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xUOwVgYc7M2rcHCdJC" width="480" height="307" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/xUOwVgYc7M2rcHCdJC">via GIPHY</a></p>
Azubuike crashed into Young chasing after an offensive rebound. The fans in Norman wanted a foul, but with Young having the ball and remaining upright, it probably was best for both teams if play continued.
Had Azubuike picked up a foul there and had Self stuck with him until he fouled out, the situation itself would’ve been avoided. That isn’t to say Self made a mistake in subbing in the first half to preserve his big man, but it certainly wasn’t the only time a foul call affected a strategy.
Moving into the actual intentional-foul part of the game, which started with KU up 2, Kruger tasked forward Matt Freeman with committing the fouls on Azubuike.
Freeman entered the game with 0 fouls, so there should have been five instances when Azubuike was at the line.
Instead, there were four. Here’s why:
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohs5XD42fI403jGbm" width="480" height="307" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohs5XD42fI403jGbm">via GIPHY</a></p>
Freeman stuck his shoulder out into Graham, and the KU guard did a good job selling the play. It took one of the five fouls from Freeman, and since Khadeem Lattin already had three fouls at that point, it meant one less possession where the Sooners would intentionally foul.
KU, though, didn’t seem so sure.
With the Jayhawks ahead by 1 after Azubuike’s final free throws and Young committing a turnover to give KU the ball back, Self pointed for Azubuike to go to the corner and then called a timeout.
KU came back out of the timeout and Self stuck with the alignment, opting to put Lagerald Vick in front of Azubuike to offer some protection in case someone tried to intentionally foul.
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohs5IrjABrbYmVvBS" width="480" height="307" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohs5IrjABrbYmVvBS">via GIPHY</a></p>
Kruger, though, was well prepared.
While Graham dribbled aimlessly, Kruger gestured for his players to sag off Vick and Azubuike, leaving nowhere for Graham — or anyone else — to drive.
Graham hoisted up a 3-pointer that missed. OU came back down the court and took the lead.
***---***
And on the other side
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Since I began this story by talking about the defensive lapse by Graham, I think it’d only be fair to end on the play that preceded it.
After all, one play does not a game make.
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xUOwVipGV4TMKKsqZi" width="480" height="307" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/xUOwVipGV4TMKKsqZi">via GIPHY</a></p>
With KU down 2 and Malik Newman with the ball, Young tried to go around an Azubuike screen, giving Newman an extra step as he drove toward the hoop.
The defense collapsed and Newman made the right play, dishing it to a wide open Mykhailiuik. The shot just didn't fall, and Newman couldn’t come up with the board.
Sometimes, that's the difference between a win and a loss. ]]>Wed, 24 Jan 2018 18:53:51 -0600http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2018/jan/24/1-3-1-breakdown-three-under-the-radar-mo/